NAPTIP/DIA Operatives Rescue 37 Children Accused of Witchcraft from Torture Clinic in Abuja; Arrest Native Doctor.

Officers the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in a joint operation on Saturday in Abuja, rescued 37 Children from a ‘Child Torture Clinic’ operated by a Native Doctor, who allegedly has the powers to cure kids of wizardry.

NAPTIP Officials disclosed that children aged between 5 to 7 years, are taken to the said Witch Doctor, one Mr. Ezekiel Ikoh, at the Torture Clinic in Mararaba area of Abuja by parents and guardians after they have been brainwashed by persons suspected to be working in partnership with the Witch Doctor.

The children are then chained and tortured severally with several dangerous implements to confess that they are witches or wizards.

This is after parents or guardians of the children have been made to part away with sums of money ranging from N50, 000 to N100, 000.

According to officials, the alleged Native Doctor after maltreating the children to a point of death sometimes through starvation and thrashing, would lie to the parents that the children have confessed to confess of being witches  and ‘must be cured’.

The kids are then left with him for some time after which they are cured and handed over to their guardians.

The said Mr. Ezekiel (Witch Doctor) who hails from Akoh Village in Nasarawa state has been handed over to the police and is said to have been in the business for the past several months.

Officials of NAPTIP while confirming the story noted that the rescued children are being moved to a facility where they will undergo medical tests to ascertain the level of torture they were subjected to and the impact of their mental state before working out how they can be reintegrated.

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